John speies



No Model.)

J. SPEIRS.

DEVICE FOR CLOSING OPENINGS IN THE BULLS-0P VESSELS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

ATTORNEYS.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SPEIRS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR CLOSING OPENINGS IN THE HULLS F VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,275, dated November 9, 1886.

Application filed March 29, 1886.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SPEIRs, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Device for Closing Apertures in Vessels, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide practical means whereby a breach in a vessels hull, caused by collision at sea or otherwise, may be temporarily closed to prevent i the inflow of water and the sinking of the vessel; and the invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding .parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the breachclosing or scuttle plate. Fig. 2 is an eleia' tion showing the inner surface; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same, taken on the line a; 00 of Fig. 2.

A represents the plate, which may be made of any appropriate size, of metal, or wood, weighted to sink in water. To one surface of the plate A at its edges are secured the wooden strips B B, which have secured to them the packing-strips or cushions O C, of india-rubber or other suitable material. These cushions are for causing water-tight joints to be Serial No. 197,063. (No model.)

formed with the hull when the plate is lowered from the deck by 'ropes D D, attached to eyes d d, or otherwise, over an opening in the 5 hull, the pressure of water against the outer surface of the plate causing the plate to hug the hull, so it will effectually prevent all, or nearly all, inflow of water to the vessel. The

inner surlace of the plate A is provided with 40 several eyebolts, E, by which the plate, when lowered over an opening, may be secured in place from the inside of the vessel by passing ropes or other stays through the eyebolts and making the ropes fast to any convenient stationary object within the vessel.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device for closing apertures in vessels,

consisting of a plate having a flange or strip surrounding its outer edgeson one side of the plate, packingstrips or cushions of the width of the flanges and secured thereto, eyebolts secured to the outer side of the flange or strip for receiving ropes for raising and lowering said plate, and eyebolts on the inner side of the said plate for receiving ropes for securing the plate in place from the inside of the vessel, substantially as shown and described.

' JOHN SPEIRS.

WVi tnesses:

H. A. WEsT, C. SEDewIoK. 

